Tom Carper is reportedly floating a new/old compromise with Democratic leadership:
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) is quietly talking with the Senate Democratic leadership and Finance Committee members about an alternative to both the government insurance option and the nonprofit insurance cooperative.
In a one-page document he began circulating last week, Carper suggests giving states the option of creating a competitor to private insurers, which could include a government plan, a network of co-ops, or a large purchasing pool modeled after the revered Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan.
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“If we report a bill out of committee, I hope it at least includes the co-op,” Carper said. “Then, as we attempt to merge that legislation with the HELP committee bill, a good compromise between where the HELP bill is with the public option and where we are with coops would be along the lines of what I just mentioned to you. It may occur during the merger of the two bills.”
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Carper said Congress adopted the trigger approach in the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill. “That hasn’t been necessary but the threat of it was helpful to make sure there was competition,” he said.
This is a pretty weak compromise, but I do think this is a positive development. The SFC bill is the last bill to get out of committee. If it has some kind of co-op that means that all the bills will have some form of the public option, with the SFC bill having the worst one. Once the bills are merged, it looks like the HELP “level playing field” option will be the centrist one. We’re inching closer and closer to a real bill. Remember – the media has declared the public option dead numerous times but each time it stays alive and the conservaDems are creeping closer to the progressives position.
Another positive development is the rejection of a trigger. I’m glad Carper is doing this and I think he’s probably trying to get Snowe to vote for the bill.
I think there are some battles still left:
1. Getting the best possible bill out of the SFC
2. Merging of the Senate bills
3. Ensuring all Democrats vote for cloture on the bill
4. The House/Senate conference